Java Sugar Steam 2004 - West Java

PG Rajawali II (previously PTP XIV, before that PNP XIV) operates all the mills in West Java. These can be reached easily from Cirebon which has good facilities. Alone among the nationalised sector, these mills do not charge visitors. On the other hand, all the mills are now rather run down and activity of any kind including the steam locomotives is quite limited. Most years I try to spend two or three days in the area in the hope of some interesting action but in recent years I have invariably been disappointed.

1.KADHIPATEN Mill Index

Closed in 2000. By June 2003, the mill was 99% dismantled/scrapped the locomotives survived locked in the adjacent shed, but were scrapped in early July.

2. JATIWANGI Mill Index

I was told at Kadhipaten in June 2003 that the mill had been totally dismantled. The steam locomotives were cut up in early July.

3. GEMPOL Mill Index

I was told at Kadhipaten in June 2003 that the mill had been totally dismantled. No doubt the remaining steam locomotives were scrapped.

One of the Henschel locomotives (12) from here has now been sent to Taman Mini in Jakarta. When I visited in 1999, staff told me that the other Henschel was now on a tourist railway in Jambi (Central Sumatra), a fact I am unlikely to be in a position to check out!

4. SINDANGLAUT Mill Index

I visited pre-season on 16th April and milling was expected to start on May 14th. The mill's chief engineer stated that only two steam locomotives (and four diesels) would be used in the new season. Looking into the locked shed, most likely this would be 8 and 11 which appeared freshly painted. 10 and 12 (actually a renumbered 13 as there are two 12s here now) appeared likely to be available as back up. In the event I took my group there on 6th July and found the mill in terminal (?) decline, with very little cane. The mill was adding coal to the little bagasse it had and also burning wood. 8 was steamed specially for us and taken to the fields for a few runpasts with some empties. This will have been my last ever visit here with a group, a sad occasion. 

5. TERSANA BARU Mill Index

I visited with my tour group on 7th July. The usual steam locomotives were in use, but although there was plenty of cane in the yard, only one the west mill train inside was in use (exclusively for road trucks) and so there was little activity. On August 7th, the yard was much busier although there were frequent derailments, which allowed this line up to develop:

6. KETANGGUNGAN BARAT Mill Index

Closed in 2002 owing to bridge problems and this will have been the end of steam here. On 26th June 2003, I found the fleet on shed minus fittings etc. It seemed the diesel was in use from time to time, I assume that any cane it brought in would have been transferred to trucks for the journey to Tersana Baru, the bridge still being out of use and Luwung Gajah yard overgrown. By 2004, most if not all the track between here and Tersana Baru had been lifted. 

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